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Using Pesticides Safely

Pesticides are useful chemicals that can protect your home from intruding pests. But these chemicals also carry health risks, so ensure you're using them safely, and that the benefits outweigh the possible harm.

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Pesticides can help protect your family from bugs, mice, bacteria, and fungi that can lead to illness or disease. While pest control is important for protecting your home and family, pesticides themselves can actually be quite dangerous and must be handled and used correctly.

What Pesticides Do

Pesticides are chemicals that are used to kill or ward off pests. There are many different types of pesticides that serve various functions; pesticides include herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, and more. These chemicals can protect your home from:

Mice and other rodents

Weeds

Viruses

Bacteria

Insects

Many common chemicals that you may use regularly around your home are actually pesticides, including:

Chemicals to control bacterial growth in swimming pools

Sprays to kill weeds and other plants in your lawn

Sprays to kill cockroaches, ants, and other insects

Rat or mouse poison

Insect repellent lotions and sprays

Disinfecting cleaners used in kitchens and bathrooms

Chemicals that destroy mildew and mold (including bleach and other household cleaners)

Pet products that kill and repel fleas and ticks, including powders, skin applications, and collars

How to Choose and Use Pesticides.

Pesticides can be very dangerous chemicals, so don't use them unless you really have to. Keep in mind that there isn't a truly safe pesticide, and natural pest control methods do exist.

First, figure out what pests you need to control. Do you have a problem with fleas, mice, mold, or weeds? If you have a serious problem with pests that you can't control through other means, and your family is at risk of illness or disease, pesticides might be your best choice. Select a pesticide that meets your needs but poses the least risk to your family.

Pesticides are labeled according to three risk levels: danger, warning, and caution. You want to look for pesticides with the caution label because they're associated with the least risk, while avoiding those with the danger label because they pose the greatest potential risk.

These labels refer only to immediate risks, such as if you spill the pesticide on your skin, splash it in your eyes, or swallow it. It's also important to consider the long-term health risks of pesticides, which aren't always as obvious. Read the list of ingredients on the pesticide container, and do your own research on the chemicals used in specific products. Certain pesticide chemicals have been linked to serious health problems, including cancer and birth defects, so it's worth the time and effort to investigate less-toxic alternatives.

Pesticide Safety Tips

These strategies will help you use chemical pesticides as safely as possible:

Buy and use only what you need. Don't leave extra pesticides sitting around, because they can pose a hazard to pets and children. Never use more pesticide than the product directions advise.

Follow the directions exactly. Always read the label before using pesticides.

Use pesticides only for their intended use. Do not use them for anything else.

Protect your skin. When using pesticides, wear a long-sleeved shirt, pants, and a pair of protective gloves.

Minimize your exposure. Make sure your children, your pets, and their toys are out of the way when using pesticides. Emphasize how dangerous pesticides are to your children and instruct them never to touch or play with pesticides. Lock up pesticides or store them well out of reach of children and pets.

Apply pesticides only where needed. Avoid excess spraying. When spraying outdoors, never spray when it’s raining or windy; you don't want the pesticide blowing or running where it's not intended to go.

Put away all food. When spraying pesticides indoors, remove food and any personal items you use that you wouldn’t want to get any pesticide on, like eyeglasses or even a book you’re reading.